A new virtual exhibit created by the Delaware Public Archives highlights some of the hidden stories from the First State’s long history.
“Delaware’s Diverse Histories” examines the stories of three groups from the pre-Revolutionary era through modern times, Black Delawareans, indigenous peoples, and Hispanic and Latinos. For the exhibit, the archives drew on its collection of millions of documents. As State Archivist Maegan Peterman explains, those documents include much more than boxes of dusty papers.
“As the archives, we are focused on documentary materials,” she says. “So that's papers, books, photographs, ephemera, and also audio and visual materials - video, film, we have old film, we have cassette tapes, we have all kinds of things.”
The archives’ Public Services Manager, Dawn Mitchell explains that, taken together, the records paint a picture of these groups’ social, cultural, and political lives.
“And so you'll see a variety of records, including records about their education, records about their churches, their community,” Mitchell says. “We have other records pertaining to when they were officially recognized by the state.”
Among the stories the exhibition tells is one about a court case where two formerly enslaved people sued their former enslaver for not telling them they were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation.
“It was just very moving as you read through the testimony, and then when you got to the verdict that they won, it was just really impactful to me,” Mitchell says.
Peterman says one highlight is the inclusion of recorded oral histories.
“I think that's pretty cool to hear someone from that community speaking and being interviewed,” she says. “And I think that adds a whole new layer beyond just documents and our descriptions of them to this kind of exhibit.”
The exhibit also includes a way for virtual visitors to include their own stories for historians and the public to access in the future.
“We're asking people to share your voices, share your stories about these communities, and I think that's really important,” Mitchell says. MITCHELL05 (:06): “Tell us, share your voices. We're going to preserve those for future generations and Delawareans to be able to go back and learn from.”
